Amboise - Blois

In the morning, we are disturbed in our tent by unusual noises. I suspect it's road construction where asphalt seams are being sealed with tar and gas burners. It’s supposed to get hot today, and later, no one would want to endure such work.

Far from it: a hot air balloon launches and flies very close to the campsite. The little boy from our tent neighbors, who is sleeping outside with his brother, wakes up and sees only a hissing, yellow monster above him. Naturally, there was much howling, and he sought refuge with his parents in the tent.

Denis Papin

Never heard the name? Probably.

Ever cooked food in a pressure cooker? Perhaps.

Did the pot explode? Hopefully not.

Denis Papin is the inventor of the pressure cooker. This was in 1697. When he demonstrated the first model before the Royal Society, the prototype burst due to excessive pressure. So he invented the safety valve as well. The result was the Papin pot.

In any case, he was born here in Blois, and in his honor, they dedicated the staircase in Blois to him. A statue of him and his pot was also erected there.

 

The Denis Papin staircase has since become an art object that is redesigned each year. This year it looks like this:

When driving over the Pont Jaques Gabriel towards the city center, you don't immediately see that the image is a staircase in the city.

More info and images of the staircase can be found here.